Retinal vein occlusion on YouTube: how reliable is public health information in the digital era?
Şule Barman Kakil1, Neşe Arslan2
1Department of Ophthalmology, Tayfur Ata Sökmen Faculty of Medicine, Hatay Mustafa Kemal University, Alahan, Hatay Cd. No:203 Alahan Köyü, 31001, Antakya, Hatay, Turkey. sule.barmankakil@mku.edu.tr.
Purpose:
YouTube is a widely accessed platform for health-related information, yet its ophthalmologic content remains largely unregulated. Despite growing interest in video evaluations, no prior study has systematically assessed the quality of YouTube videos on retinal vein occlusion (RVO).
Methods:
A cross-sectional analysis of the top 100 English-language YouTube videos on RVO was performed. Videos were independently scored using the Global Quality Score (GQS), DISCERN, and JAMA criteria.
Results:
The mean GQS, DISCERN, and JAMA scores were 3.49 ± 1.14, 17.17 ± 3.93, and 2.34 ± 1.17, respectively. Videos uploaded by professionals had significantly higher quality scores (p < 0.05), while no significant differences were observed across RVO subtypes (BRVO, CRVO, general RVO). Approximately 51% of videos were rated below high-quality thresholds.
Conclusions:
The study reveals substantial variation in the reliability of YouTube content related to RVO. There is a critical need for expert involvement in producing and curating online ophthalmic education materials to improve digital health literacy.
